The Never List (The Golden Boys)

About this book

Madelaine Brown prefers romance as a spectator sport. After her mother abandoned her as a child, she learned that keeping love at a distance is the only way to stay safe. However, her carefully curated life is constantly disrupted by Jake West, a reckless and popular boy she has been forced to endure since childhood. To Madelaine, Jake is nothing more than a source of perpetual frustration and the ultimate test of her patience. Everything shifts when Jake finds himself dumped and desperate to save face, while Madelaine grapples with "The Never List"—a collection of experiences she is too terrified to attempt. They strike a classic fake-dating deal: Madelaine will help Jake win back his pride, and in exchange, he will push her to finally live a little. This enemies-to-lovers arrangement quickly spirals into something much more complicated than a simple ruse. As the pair navigates forced proximity and mounting tension, the lines between their staged performance and genuine affection begin to blur. Madelaine soon discovers that the items on her list aren't nearly as impossible as she once thought, especially when the person she’s been fighting against is the only one who truly sees her.